


Water Fountain

by EmWritesFiction



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Angst with no happy ending, F/F, F/M, im sorry (not really), implied Seth Gordon/Allison Reynolds - Freeform, slight canon inconsistencies, starts kinda fluffy but then uh, technically a song fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 13:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30073212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmWritesFiction/pseuds/EmWritesFiction
Summary: It was about a year ago when Allison cornered Renee by one of the basement water fountains. The night was young, stale air vibrating with the bass of some old pop song that everyone pretended to like because it was a party, and it’s tradition to have the same old music playing.aka the angsty Renison fic to Water Fountain that we really didn't need (but I still wanted to write)
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Water Fountain

**Author's Note:**

> Brought to you by Alec Benjamin’s Water Fountain, I heard it and was possessed by the angst that my boyfriend usually keeps safe
> 
> (also brought to you by a strong procrastination of my multi-chap fic)
> 
> (here’s to hoping I got the paradox right sdfhgdfhgds)

_ She told me she loved me by the water fountain _

_ She told me that she loved me, and she didn’t love him _

_ \- Alec Benjamin, Water Fountain _

It was about a year ago when Allison cornered Renee by one of the basement water fountains. The night was young, stale air vibrating with the bass of some old pop song that everyone pretended to like because it was a  _ party, _ and it’s tradition to have the same old music playing.

Renee didn’t dress up much for it, managing to throw a dark slip dress on over a long sleeve shirt and leggings that complimented her rainbow hair before Allison dragged her out of the dorms, effervescent as ever. She looked like a shooting star; a fallen angel draped in a golden dress and matching heels, pink nails and jewelry matching perfectly with every stitch. Some flowery perfume trailed after her, wrapping around Renee and making her feel even more hopelessly gay than usual.

They went to the party together but got separated quickly, Allison preferring to join the horde of people dancing while Renee sat on the side and watched quietly, eyes mapping out the entire room. There were lights everywhere, strobing and pulsing different colours and patterns to the beat of the music, but none of them managed to be as bright and eye-catching as Allison.

The later it got, the more the energy changed that night. Fox tower parties were known to be wild, the athletes having more energy to burn than others would, keeping the party at a fairly high energy. That night was the outlier it seemed, the person in charge of the music slowing it down and keeping things calmer. Allison had grabbed Renee’s hand when it did slow, pulling her outside of the room and over to the water fountain tucked near the doorway.

“Dance with me,” she had whispered, bending over and wrapping her arms around Renee’s shoulders in such a way that it was a miracle that Renee didn’t blush. Up close, she was even more radiant, slate grey eyes somehow both intimidating and soft as she smiled at Renee, swaying back and forth to the beat.

It was impossibly soft, impossibly sweet, the scent of some flower or another hanging in the air between them, dim and broken lights casting the alcove in gold. Every second feeling like an age, as they swayed and spun, hearts beating to the same signature, a steady four/four time.

Renee had never felt so alone and so loved at the same time, holding onto the person she’d loved for years, knowing full well that the feeling isn’t reciprocated. Someone like her and someone like Allison would never happen, never work out, because they were simply on different levels; Allison a major key to her own minor. It was a perfect bittersweetness, because this was one of Allison and Seth’s breaks, and the only time that she could even entertain the  _ thought _ of having a chance.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Allison had eventually whispered, head dropping down to fall on top of Renee’s. “Is everything alright?”

It was a loaded question, a double-edged sword held out for Renee to grab. She could say she was fine, or she could confess and let all of the buried feelings spill out of her chest, leave it all up in the air for Allison to see.

She didn’t do either, chose to ignore the question in favour of pulling back a little, meeting Allison’s gaze and smiling. “It doesn’t matter in the end. Do you want to return to the dorms?”

“I—” Allison paused, eyes fluttering shut for a second. “Sure. I was starting to get a headache anyways.”

And then the warmth of Allison’s body was gone, the phantom feel of her hands on Renee’s back and a hint of her perfume all that was left. 

The air was colder, it seemed, the lights one shade off-colour as the music switched again, turning back to a bouncy rhythm. Though the girls weren’t that far away from each other, it felt as though an ocean could have fit between them with the awkward distance. Looking down, Renee stepped back, only to bump against the water fountain that had ended up behind her at some point. 

Reflexively, Allison had reached over, hand catching on Renee’s shoulder and helping keep her upright, a blush spreading across both of their faces.

“Are you okay?” she had whispered, voice low and rough, hand still on Renee’s shoulder. “Could have fallen there.”

“Yeah, I’m alright. Thank you.”

“It’s no problem.”

Another silence passed, their bodies too close but yet too far apart, and it took everything in Renee to hold herself back from leaning over and kissing Allison.

But all good things must come to an end, and Allison took her hand back, pushing her hair out of the way. “I—Renee?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

_ Oh. _

Renee’s world had screeched to a halt at those three words, mouth dropping open slightly. This was impossible, improbable. There was no way that Allison could ever love her back, not in the same way.

Allison laughed nervously, staring at her ever-perfect nails. “You don’t have to say anything back. I–I have to go. Good night, Renee.”

Then she had left, leaving Renee alone to whisper a soft confession into the basement air.

* * *

And then it’s a year later, Renee preparing to go to yet another party on her own, Allison still glued to Seth’s side. 

If she’s honest with herself, she has no clue why she’s still going to the parties; if it’s purely because she wants to relive that fateful night, or because her dorm never feels quite right when she was alone. Either way, it leads to lonely nights like this one, tucked into the shadows of a corner, water in her hand, watching Allison spin around in circles and dance with Seth.

Allison is still bright as ever, still the same shooting star that she was a year ago, but she’s farther away this time, even more of an impossible hope. She’s happy with Seth, happier than she’d be with Renee, pushed to heights that only Seth can give her, supercharging everything good in her and making it _ exemplary,  _ his rough edges polishing the diamond that she is.

It shouldn’t hurt Renee as bad as it does—she’s known for ages that nothing can come from her love for someone who’s always been brighter than her, better than her. They’ve both gone through their struggles, both grown in different ways, and it’s clear. They’ll never be able to fit into a harmony, not in the way Renee wishes they could.

She watches the room for a bit longer before she slips away, moving out the door and back to that same old water fountain. It’s rusted now, the handle on the verge of falling off and the basin cracked. The alcove is weathered much the same, paint peeling and dust coating the corners, and she can’t help but want to fix it all up in a vain effort to go back to that first night.

But that night was a forever ago, and Renee can’t wind back time, no matter how badly she wishes to. Instead, she leans against the fountain, eyes flitting back to the room and seeing Seth pull Allison close, planting kisses all across her face as she throws her head back and laughs.

It’s perfectly bittersweet, to see everything she could never have playing out right in front of her, always out of reach. Allison would never love her, not in the way she loves Seth. Her and Allison would never go on dates, never count the stars as they trade kisses, laughing all the while. They’d never get a house together, never go on trips or dance in front of water fountains.

Allison kisses Seth again, so Renee looks away, not being able to bear the sight any longer. She’s perfectly happy as she is, and Renee should have realized that this was nothing but a catch-22—a situation in which no matter what she wants, what she does, she loses.

**Author's Note:**

> <3


End file.
